Terminal connector



l I May 23, 1946. E. H. AYERs l TERMINAL CONNECTOR Y Filed Dec'. 27.; 194s IVent'orz. Edgar* H. AgePS,

bg )VW/yf His Attorneg.

Q Patented .May

' UNITED STATES iwi'ia:N'r'` orifice* .Edgar I-l. toW

General Electric New York Company, a corporation of Application December 27,1943, Serial No. 515,635 z Claims. (ci. 173-3214) My invention relates'to terminal connectors. more particularly to terminal connectors of the detachable typeV such as used to :loin -wires or cables to the terminals of an electric switch or contactor, and has for its Vobject a simple and reliable connector for connecting a plurality oi' wires or cables to a terminal memben In carrying out my invention in lone form, I

provide a terminal member in the form of a strap having its outer end b`ent over to form a U-shaped portion, the sides of the U being pro- `vided with parallel elongated slots. In these slots I provide clamping members which are slldably mounted in the slots,y together with a screw in the base of theU-shaped portion by j means 'of which the clamping 'members `can be clamped on wires inserted between them and also between .the clamping members and the end' walls of the slots. At adjacent ends of the' clamping members I provide elongated shoulders which form projections diverging away from each other 'by means of which'the clamping members can;

portion of the strap forming with the bent-over V portion l2 the two sides of the li-shaned portion. The `two sidesvor arms 'of the U-shaped portion are provided, respectively, with elongated slots Il and I5 which, as shown, extend length-'- wise of the. strap and are in parallel relation with each other. Slidaoly mounted in these slots or apertures Il'and I5 and extending through them-are' clamping members I8 and I1 in the form of dat -bars extending crosswise of the slots, i. e., with the planes ofthe bars-at right angles withthe.

longitudinal dimensions ofthe slots. These bars have widths somewhat lessthanthe widths of the slots to provide for insertion o i the bars in fj the slots in parallel relation Y'with the slots, after be separated by the end of the wire to in- 1 sorted betweenthem.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the accomf panying drawing, Fig. 1 of which is a view in` lperspective of a terminal connector embodying my invention'showing three wires secured to it;

while Fig. 2 ls an exploded View in perspective ofthe device shownin Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, in one form of my invention Ifprovide an electrically conductingl which they are turned to their transverse positions shown, and also to provide for free 'slidable movement oi' the bars in the slots. Thus by means' of a clamping screw I8 extending through the base i3 of the VU-shapecl portion,` Vthe two bars may be clampedv together against the ends of two electric conductors or wires I9 and 20 inserted between the bars and against' a third electric conductor 2| inserted betweenthe bar Hand the ends of the slots. Thus the con'- ductors' are` clamped securely to the terminal member I0 in good electrically conducting relation therewith.

On the upper ends oi' the bars, as seen in the drawing, are transverse portions 22 and 23 form-A -ing shoulders on each of the sides of the bars which engage the outside walls of the slot i4 thereby to securev the bars against sliding movement downward, as seen in the drawing, out of the s1ots.'` Also. on thelower ends o! the bars are transverse portions 2 4 and 25, also forming shoulders on the lower ends ofthe bars for securing the bars against slidable movement upi ward through the slots; vThese transverse portions, however, are elongated, as shown in the drawing, on each side Aof the bars, and the portromagnetc switch `or contacter described and claimed in Patent No. 2,064,632, issued on Deoember 1-5, .1936, to Richard -H. Schmitt. In ac,

comence .with the schmitt patent, the terminal members would be arranged inpairs with the the bars atV their lower ends provideior con-f two contacts H lsuitably spaced apart for cooperation withamovablebridging contact member. l

On the end of the terminal member iii -I prov ide a quickly detachable connector by bendingv the end of. the strapover to form a U'shaped,

portion comprising the bent-over portion l2, a cross connecting base porti'oni.y and the-end tions or the pair on each side adjacent each other are bent -away'from each othenin diversing relation with each other. These pairs of diverging .projections `24 and 25- on each side of venience in the insertion oi!v the ends of the electric conductors i9 and 20 between them. Thus the bars-v i8 and Il willoiten be in closely spaced re lation or in engagement with each other 'whenY 'the end ofthe conductor'lis to be inserted. In

that case. the end of the conductor is inserted iiirst between the diverging ends 2| and 25 and moved laterally between these diverging ends thereby to separate the bars after which, when the end of the conductor reaches a position between the bars and in alignment' with the two slots, it is moved longitudinally between the bars and through the two slots'to the position shown in Fig'. l. Also the portions 24 and 25 are k-nurled or roughened on each side, as shown in the drawing. to provide for more effective clamping of the wires.

`It will be understood that the end-of the conductor 2i can readily be inserted by using it first to push, if necessary, the bar I'I toward the left hand, as seen in the drawing, after which the conductor 2| can be inserted longitudinally through the two slots. f The end walls of the slots are curved, i. e., convex, as shown inthe drawing,

whereby after the conductor 2l is inserted it is positioned when pressure is applied by the clampingscrew I8 in the bottoms of the curved end walls and therefore centrally with respect to the slots.

Although provision can ing of a desired number of conductors or wires by means of the connector, I have illustrated they connector as securing three wires, the slots I4 and I5 being wide enough to permit the positioning ofthe wires I9 and 20 in substantial side-by-side relation crosswise of theI slot. To assure eiective clamping of the two wires, the widths of the slots should be somewhat less than the sum of .the diameters of the twowires so that when the clamping screw I8 is turned down against the bars, the twowires I9 and 2Il areforced tightly together and wedged in substantial side-by-side s relation in the slots. This narrow slot thus as sures theapplication of pressure to each wire and the clamping of each wire against a roughened inner surface of the transverse portion 24 or 25. Also, the positioning by means of the curved or concave end walls of the third wire 2| midway of the slots eilects the positioning* of this wire with its center line opposite the line of'engagement between the two wires I9 and 20. In other words, the longitudinal center line of the conductor ZI, after it is positioned, in the slots, lies in d a plane containing the line of contact between the two conductors IS and 20 and passing through the longitudinal centers of the slots.

While I have shown the longer transverse portions 24 and 25` on the lower ends of the bars if desired the connector as a whole .may be inverted to bring the longer portions at the yupper ends of the bars, or the bars may be inserted in the slots in inverted relation as `compared with' the drawing. Inpsuch casethe portions y24 and' 25, being uppermost, eectively prevent the bars from falling through the slots even though thel bars may be turned in parallel relation with the be made for the securslots, the portions 24 and 25 being longer than the slots.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, 5 that I do not wish to 'be limited thereto since many modiilcations may be made, and 1 therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as tall within the -true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. A. terminal connector comprising a terminal member provided with anintegral U-shaped portion at one end, each side Vof said portion having an elongated slot and said slots being substantially parallell with each other, two clamping mem- V bers extending through said slots, each of said clamping membershaving shoulders at each end for securing it on said U-shaped portion and said shoulders on at least two adjacent ends of said clamping members being' elongated and shaped to form projections diverging awayfrom each other so, that an electric conductor can be inserted rst between said diverging shoulders thereby to separate said members for insertion of the conductor between them and through said slots, and a clamping screw extending through and threaded in said base of said U-shaped portion for clamping said members together thereby to secure a conductor between them.

2. A terminal connector comprising an electrically conducting strap provided with an integral yU--shaped portion at one end, each side of said portion being provided with an elongated slot and said slots being parallel with each other,` two clamping members extending loosely through said slots, each of said clamping members having f shoulders at each end for securing it on said U shaped portion and said shoulders on at least two adjacent ends of said clamping members be ing elongated and shaped to form projections diverging away from each other so that an electric conductor can be inserted first' between said diverging shoulders thereby to separate said members for insertion of a conductor between them, and a clamping screw extending through and threaded in the base of said U-shaped portion for clamping said members together thereby to secure between them two conductors in substantial side-by-side relation, the end walls of said grooves opposite said base being curved to provide for the 

